


Letters

by cherie_soleil



Category: The Legend of Zelda, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: AU where it’s been 5 years since the Calamity was defeated, F/M, Fluff, One Shot, Original Character(s), Slow Burn, maybe a tinge of angst somewhere in the middle
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-18
Updated: 2019-06-18
Packaged: 2020-05-14 08:20:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,663
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19269370
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cherie_soleil/pseuds/cherie_soleil
Summary: Link and Lana had been adventure partners for about 5 years now. Throughout the years, they have grown to become close, too close that they found themselves falling head over heels for each other. The only problem is that they’re too afraid to realize the obvious so instead, they kept their feelings to themselves.Thankfully, the people around them weren’t oblivious to the heart-eyes that they’ve been throwing at each other behind their backs.





	Letters

**Author's Note:**

> this wasn’t supposed to be this long
> 
> what have i done
> 
> why is this 10k words

“You’re overdramatic.”

 

“You’re a pain in the ass.”

 

The two had been throwing daggers at each other for the past few minutes. Apparently, Lana had decided it would be a good idea to pull a prank on the Hylian Champion whilst he was away to take care of other people’s quests, to which Link did not like at all.

 

“Come on, it was just a small prank! You haven’t been to my place in weeks so I decided to pay you a visit.” Lana exclaimed as she held the bucket that used to be full of cucco feathers close to her chest, pouting at the grumpy Hylian.

 

“The last thing that I could ask for as soon as I got back from work is to be greeted with the cursed feathers of the demon incarnate.” he groaned in annoyance. Although barely noticeable, it was clear enough that Lana was holding back a laugh from his remark. She knew how much Link hated cuccos so the prank became more amusing than she expected.

 

“Okay, maybe this was a bit too much,” she sighs and places down the bucket before turning to Link, “I’m sorry. I just wanted to hang out with my best friend, you know? It’s been a while since we had time for ourselves and now that you don’t really have to save the princess anymore, with the calamity being gone, why not take a break?” The Hylian Champion doesn’t respond. Instead, he crossed his arms and looked at her with the most unamused face.

 

“I was actually about to hang out with you but with the prank that you pulled, I might have to say otherwise and just visit the Zora domain,” immediately, Lana lunged at him and hugged his hips as she whines.

 

“At least take me with you! I wanna see the prince too!”

 

“And what makes you think that I’d let you tag along if I did plan a trip there?”

 

Silence.

 

“Because you love me?” Link blushed as he tried to pry her off him but to no avail. He rubs his temples before sighing, knowing that she won’t stop annoying him if he did, in fact, leave for Zora domain without letting her join him.

 

“I’m not going to the domain, I was just messing with you.” Lana frowned and pulled away, crossing her arms which amused the Hylian Champion.

 

“Though I do think a trip to Tarrey Town seems like a good idea.”

 

＊

 

After the two of them settled atop their horses, they took one last look at Link’s home. Quietly bidding goodbye, they both left Hateno Village.

 

“We’ve got all the things we need, right?” Link shuffled through the sacks resting on both sides of his horse then turning to Lana with a thumbs up, earning a smile from her.

 

Their journey was silent, well for the most part. They’d occasionally exchange glances at each other, making funny faces at one another which leads to them joking around until they stopped midway. Link decided that it would be best to make camp in the nearby cave they saw and wait till sunrise to continue back with their journey. With this, they both tied the reigns of their horses to a tree then started gathering some supplies such as fresh-cut wood, food, and the like. Link was the one to gather the wood while Lana was in charge of finding themselves some food for dinner.

 

“There should be some foxes and wolves in this area,” she mumbled. Link looked around while gathering some sticks, trying to spot any animal until he’s seen a wild boar in the distance.

 

“There’s a boar over there,” he pointed to which Lana turned her head towards the animal. She snickered and quietly climbed up the tree, withdrawing her bow as she carefully aimed at the boar. Link watched her from below, waiting until she releases her arrow and skillfully hits the boar right in the head, killing it with one blow. A look of amusement was now spread across the Hylian Champion’s face as he helps her climb down the tree while Lana had the widest grin ever.

 

“And now we can have some gourmet steak for dinner. Aren’t you thankful to have such a skilled partner? Not only can I cook the best food but I can also get us the best resources.” batting her eyelashes at him, he simply rolls his eyes before tying all the wood he had gathered into a bundle.

 

“You wouldn’t have gotten that if I hadn’t pointed it to you, y’know.” he replied, carrying the wood with one arm as his free hand was placed on his hips. She frowns a bit before going to the boar that she had attacked with then began gathering some meat, not noticing Link’s intent gaze at her.

 

He watches her movements, almost as if he was studying the way she was trying to cut up parts of the animal and then realizing she wasn’t doing it right. He then puts the bundle of wood on the ground before crouching next to her, pointing to where she should be cutting.

 

“Here, you should cut from this section to about this part. The meat should be thicker if you cut it up like this.” and with that, he began to help her section out the meat before cutting everything else up. Although she couldn’t see his face, he felt quite proud that he was able to help her once more with something like this because it’s an important trick when it comes to hunting in the wilderness. She looks up at Link for a bit and gave him a soft smile, catching him off guard.

 

”Thank you, Link. You’ve been helping me a lot ever since our first adventure together.” Link blushed then averted his gaze from her in hopes that she wouldn’t notice the pink hues in his cheeks but it was too late.

 

”Aww, is my Linky winky blushing?” he groaned in response before moving her face to let her focus on her work instead.

 

”Just hurry up and finish cutting the meat before it gets even later.” Lana giggled then continued with her work.

 

＊

 

After gathering the food and wood that they needed, they finally settled themselves in the cave. Lana stretched her arms a bit before removing her hooded cloak, sighing.

 

”It would be nice to take a bath right now, my hands are all stinky from cutting up all that meat.” Link furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.

 

”I mean, does it matter? It’s just a bit of smell, it’ll go away soon.”

 

The silence began to envelop the two, with Lana staring at him which made Link even more confused.

 

”Link, when was the last time you took a bath?”

 

”I think a week ago? Or maybe two weeks ago, I don’t know. I was too busy with–” he was then cut off by Lana pulling him away from the cave.

 

”H-hey, where are you taking me? We still have to start the fire before sundown!”

 

”You are _not_ starting any fire until you’ve taken a bath, ” she spots a nearby pond and immediately rushes over to it before stopping at the edge of it, turning to Link, ” Now, clothes off.”

 

”I’m not taking my clothes off in front of you!” she gave him the most unamused look before turning around and placing her hands on her hips.

 

”Okay, there. Strip the clothes off or I’m doing it myself.” Link’s face heated up before rushing to remove his clothing until he was bare, not even giving her time to see his nude body as he had already submerged into the water.

 

Lana sighed, ”You’re more of a girl than I am, geez.” without further notice, she then began stripping herself which caught Link off guard as he quickly turned his head away from her. He didn’t dare to peek at her and waited until he heard splashing of water to see Lana submerged as he was. She took her glasses off, removing her hair tie to let her hair sit on top of her chest, and placed the glasses beside her clothes and the bottles of liquid by the edge of the pond before sinking down into the water then lifting back up. Water dripped from her cheeks then down to her chin as her hair became wet, slicking it back before turning to the Hylian Champion who was watching her intently.

 

”Well don’t just sit there and watch, swim over here so I can get you all washed up.”

 

He was hesitant; he didn’t really want to let her do something like this because not only does he feel embarrassed, he also felt a bit childish. It reminded him of how his mother used to bathe him when he was younger and he didn’t like the idea that he was still being helped in bathing when he’s already an adult but he was already cut off from his thoughts by a certain Hylian lady pulling him close, his back against her bare chest, as his cheeks began to heat up.

 

”Stay still, I’m going to wash your back first before your hair.” and with that, she removed his hair tie and combed his hair. Link had never felt this intimate with Lana. Even if she was the most playful between the two, she still cared about him–even _more_ than himself that he felt quite ashamed of. He felt her hands running through his hair, which gave him chills down his spine to which she noticed and smiled at.

 

”Don’t worry, I’ll be sure to wash your hair a bit longer than I do so I can massage it a bit.” she said before pulling the piece of cloth that rested beside her clothes. She opened one of the bottles and poured a few of its contents on the cloth before sitting on the edge of the pond. She pats the side of her seat, signaling Link to do the same but he was too flustered to even look at her.

 

”Oh goddess, can you stop being so embarrassed and get your butt here so I can wash your back? The longer you stay there, the faster the sun will come down.” he closed his eyes tightly before turning around and trying to feel his way to where she is. Lana sighs and pulls his arm to help him up before placing the cloth against his skin, making him flinch. She then began to scrub his back carefully, but not rough enough to hurt him. In fact, he felt his muscles relax as soon as she started doing that, much to her delight.

 

”You should really take better care of yourself, you know? I get that you’re a Champion, well ex-Champion since the Calamity’s all gone, but that doesn’t mean you should ignore your body and health.” he clasped his hands together on his lap as his head hung low. Lana paused a bit to look at him.

 

”I just didn’t have time to think about myself. Maybe because I’ve gotten too used to thinking about others before me.”

 

”Well, you better start thinking more about yourself from now on if you want to continue helping others, ” she then went back to scrubbing his back, ”You haven’t been home in weeks and you didn’t even send me any letters to at least let me know you're still alive.”

 

”I’m sorry…” he mumbled. Lana shook her head and smiled, ”It’s fine, I’m just glad that you’re still okay.”

 

Lana dipped the cloth into the water to wash off the suds before washing his back with the water by twisting the cloth. She then placed more soap and began washing her own body, starting from her arms then down to her upper and lower torso. For a moment, Link wondered what she was doing so he turned his head a bit to see her washing, face flushing red once more. He wanted to avert his gaze but he didn’t; he continued to watch her every move before turning his focus on her assets. He never saw her this naked before and hadn’t realized how beautifully formed her body was. The subtle freckles on her shoulders, the mole on her thigh and ankle, her naturally-curled eyelashes, her rosy cheeks, pinkish lips, and her eyes—oh he loved her eyes the most.

 

Her eyes were a beautiful shade of purple that resembled the colors of swift violets and the sunset skies. He loved how they would always twinkle whenever they’re together, sometimes making him feel a bit self-indulgent to think that he was the only one who sees this. Of course, he can’t be too sure about it but a part of him wants to think that it’s true.

 

”Link, can you help me wash my back? You _do_ know how to wash someone’s back, right?” she joked, earning a huff from him.

 

”I’m not dumb to not know how to!” he then took the cloth from her and began to slowly scrub it against her back. She shivered a bit from the cold sensation but then relaxed as soon as Link began doing his work, even humming a bit from this that made his ears perk up.

 

”You enjoying this?” she nodded. Link couldn’t help but smile at her content, he never really had this kind of moment with her. It was usually just them being playful with one another or them being apart from each other for a long time, much to their dismay, so to be able to spend time like this was a blessing to them. He finishes scrubbing her back then did the same with dipping the cloth into the water to wash off the soap on her body. She sighs in content then turns a bit to him with a smile.

 

”Alright, time to wash your hair and give you a head massage.” Link blushes and rubs the back of his neck.

 

”Do you _really_ have to do this?”

 

”If you want to keep on going to adventures then you best know that you are leaving this pond being squeaky clean.”

 

He sighed in defeat and went back into the water, awaiting her actions. Lana took the other bottle filled with purple-like liquid, reminding Link of the wild berries that he had gathered long before, and poured it onto his hair before having her hands run through it. He felt at complete bliss; it’s been so long since he was able to feel _this_ relaxed, even with the calamity being gone, that it gave him tingles everywhere. She was surprised with how at peace he was but it didn’t stop her from continuing to shampoo his hair. Instead, she was quite delighted from how he’s feeling that even she hadn’t realized he was leaning against her legs, making her blush quite a bit.

 

“See how great it feels to take a bath? Not only do you get a break from the world but you also get to have your own personal massage session.”

 

“As I said, I never really had time to do this for myself,” he closed his eyes, smiling at her soft hands running through his hair and scratching his head on occasion, “And besides, you’re here. You can do this to me anytime so I don’t have to worry about it that much.”

 

Lana’s heart started to race a bit. She didn’t expect him to say something so embarrassing that it actually made her stop for a moment to look down at him, checking if he was only saying those things out of pure bliss or consciously-speaking. Thankfully, he had his eyes closed and his back against her leg so he didn’t really notice the look on her face right now.

 

“Are you saying that you made me your partner _only_ for the sole purpose of babysitting you?” she snickered, earning a scoff from the man in the water.

 

“That’s not what I said,” he sighs before opening his eyes to look down at the water, “What I’m saying is that you’re always there for me when I need you the most so I don’t have to worry about myself that much.” Lana fell silent. She was taken aback from what he had said, considering that it wasn’t common for him to be _this_ serious when it’s the two of them, she couldn’t help but feel a bit shy towards him now.

 

She pulls her hands away from his hair to place them on both of his cheeks, propping him to look up at her before she inched closer to his face. Her thumbs delicately caressed his skin, instantly making Link’s face turn red from the intimate actions of his partner, before smiling down on him.

 

“Partners are supposed to have each other’s back after all, even if it meant having to wash their backs as well.” this made Link burst out laughing from her joke that water splashed a bit on their faces.

 

“Way to ruin a moment, Lana.” she simply lets out a soft laugh before continuing to giving him head massages.

 

Moments after helping him relax and get all cleaned up, it was her turn to finally take a proper bath. Link had already gotten out of the pond and dried himself off, trying his best not to pull himself back into the waters to spend more time with her. He gets dressed and turns to her who was humming and shampooing her hair, then caught him staring at her.

 

“You can go and start the fire, I’ll catch up to you.” of course, Link was hesitant in leaving her alone in the middle of nowhere. Who knows what can attack her without his supervision, to which Lana immediately figured this out just by the look on his face.

 

“I promise, I won’t stay longer than you think. I just need to rinse my hair out and then I’ll be back as soon as possible.” He sighed then nodded, knowing that he couldn’t really do anything but wait for her back at the cave and so with that, he started walking.

 

As soon as he was out of sight, Lana’s tension all over her body was released with an exhale before she looked down at her reflection, “What has gotten into you, Lana? He’s your adventure partner, not _that_ kind of partner.” she said to herself before patting her cheeks with both hands. She couldn’t get his words out of her head and she knew that this was going to keep her awake later tonight. Lana then fell silent, she looked down at her reflection and saw the tint of pink on her cheeks and closed her eyes, lips slowly curving into a small smile. _Maybe it’s not as bad as I think it is,_ she thought to herself. With another sigh, she rinsed her hair and got herself out of the pond to get dressed.

 

＊

 

Link sat on the floor, waiting for Lana’s arrival. He had already started the fire just like what she said so now, he’s sitting and waiting for her to come back but he knew it was going to take a bit of a while. Worry grew in his stomach as he stares at the crackling fire in front of him. _She said she wasn’t going to take a while_ , he thought before slumping back against the wall of the cave. His thoughts then trailed back to earlier in the pond, to when they were so close and intimate to each other. Heat started to rise up from his neck to his face as he continued to remember the feeling of her soft hands against his rough, worn skin, how delicate her fingertips were against his cheeks. He wanted to grasp them, hold them tightly in his own, but he knew that he couldn’t do such a thing. They were _adventure_ partners, not _that_ kind of partners, and he knew there was a line that he shouldn’t ever cross.

 

With a groan, he brushed his damp, golden locks and realized he had forgotten to get his hair tie back from Lana. His mind began to wander back into the moment when she was washing his hair. He’d expect her to be rough with him since he kept forgetting to follow her advice but instead, she was gentle, almost like how his mother would be like when he had done something wrong and apologized for his actions.

Link pulls his knees up to his legs, arms resting on top as he places his chin on top of them. He didn’t understand the feelings he had for her. One moment he feels like she was nothing more than a best friend, another moment, she reminds him of his own mother, and the other made him feel like she was more than what he believes she is.

 

“Goddesses, what is wrong with me? She’s my best friend, I can’t go thinking about her like that…” he mumbled, gripping his head in frustration. How can someone like her make the ex-Champion have feelings that confused him more than everything that he’s ever encountered before? It was mind-wrenching, having to constantly feel like his heart was about to burst at the thought of her in such a way yet find himself at peace when he’s with her.

 

“Link, I forgot to give you your hair tie back.” His head snapped upwards to see Lana with her hair out of its binds, resting beautifully on her back and a bit on her chest. He blushes at the sight of her but quickly shakes it off when she was handing out his hair tie. He was about to take it from her but she quickly snatched it back with a smile, making him frown.

 

“Oh come on, just give it back already.”

 

“Your hair’s a mess, I’ll brush it for you first then tie your hair.”

 

“What is it with you babying me today?” Lana sat herself down beside him before chuckling.

 

“Well, you _are_ a baby so what I’m doing is basically what you deserve.” Link’s frown grows bigger, then watches her rummage through her satchel to pull out what appears to be a comb and a brush. She turns to him, “Face the other way so I can comb it properly.” and with that, he did as told.

 

Lana hadn’t realized it at first but Link was quite taller and muscular than she expected. It was a bit hard for her to see the top of his head, much less be able to reach it when she’s sitting down, so she moved to a rock to sit herself down before pulling him in front of her. Afterward, she then combs his hair with her fingers first, the familiar shiver coming back to him.

 

“Don’t worry, I won’t pull your hair off your head and make you bald.” Link scoffed in response before relaxing as soon as she went back to combing his hair. Heart beating out of his chest, he lets out a shaky sigh to relieve the clamoring of his ribcage until Lana leaned against his ear to whisper.

 

“I’m not being rough, am I? Just tell me if I am so I can stop.” oh, his poor heart couldn’t take such a thing to happen to him. If he were to speak, she’d hear his voice crack and that would very much be humiliating for him. So with that, he slowly shook his head to let her resume combing his hair. She uses the brush next and held his hair in sections, making sure that there were no knots left unattended.

 

“For someone who almost never takes a bath, your hair is surprisingly soft,” she said in amusement, “Though it could be that my shampoo has worked its wonders on your hair.”

 

“Y-yeah, it’s probably the shampoo. I know that my hair is definitely way stiffer than you think.” She chuckled at him before placing the brush down. Again, her fingers found their way into his hair again and carefully pulled them into one bundle while the rest of his hair fell to the back of his neck. She uses the hair tie to knot them and finally, she was done.

 

“All good from back here, let’s see if it’s also just as good as in front.” She stood up from her seat then moved in front of Link, studying his hair while he was a blushing mess. He thanks the goddesses that she was too distracted to notice the red and pink hues on both of his cheeks.

 

With a smile, she cups his face, “Yup, all good from here too!” pulling her hands away from his face, Link took a deep breath before moving his focus to her hair.

 

“You’re not gonna fix yours?” he asked, shook from the Hylian lady was all he got for an answer before she headed towards the burning fire. She then began preparing their meal while Link stared at her from a distance, still dumbfounded from what had just happened. Confusion and frustration continued to cloud his mind as he tried to put pieces together but was stopped when Lana called over to him.

 

“Can you help me cut these up into smaller pieces? I’m still busy with preparing the stew here.” He snapped back to reality then does as he was told. Carefully, he started cutting the meat up into smaller pieces but he left a few chunks a bit bigger than the rest since he enjoyed eating them as such. As for Lana, she preferred eating them little by little which he found it cute.

 

While Link was too busy cutting up the meat, he wasn’t able to notice the small glances Lana was giving him while her cheeks burned bright red. Although she wasn’t able to say it to him straightforwardly, she really admired the way Link’s hair looked right now. Strands rested on the sides of his face, his bangs covering his cerulean eyes, and the way sections of his hair from the back rested against his nape while his ponytail was neatly tied up caught her attention. She was sure that her face was completely red at this point so she quickly turned her head away to hide her rosy cheeks.

 

“You want them this small, right?” She almost jumped from her seat when Link called.

 

“Y-yeah, that’s perfectly fine.” Link nodded before placing them into the pot along with the other ingredients he had chopped before she could even tell him to. They continued doing their own work with silence enveloping the air but somehow, it didn’t bother them. It almost felt too familiar that they grew accustomed to it, comfortable enough to not care about it, however, there was that feeling of anticipation lingering in both hearts.

 

In the end, they finished cooking and prepared the food, eating in silence until they were done. As Link was cleaning their dishes, Lana was preparing their sleeping bags. Link noticed that she placed them next to each other that it almost had no gap from each other, his cheeks flaring red.

 

“It’s getting a bit cold tonight so I thought it would be best if we were next to each other,” Lana exclaimed as she straightened them up before looking at him, “That way, we can both stay warm together.” It was amusing to him; it was like she didn’t even know what they were getting into, or maybe she knew and she just wanted to tease him. Either way, if he reacted embarrassingly, he was most definitely gonna get teased by her.

 

Link then placed the dishes back into the satchel and walked over to Lana, sitting down next to her as she brushed her hair. He watched her intently, and quietly, as he admired the way her hair rested against the side of her body and sat on her chest. She had her eyes looking down on her hair, eyelids half closed which accented her curled eyelashes. Even though it was already nighttime, she was radiant and glowing with the fire’s light.

 

“Are you starting to fall in love with me?” His thoughts were cut with a stutter and a beet-red face, earning a laugh from the lady in question.

 

“Oh, you were? Well, you can go back to admiring me then,” she giggled a bit at the end.

 

“I-I was just wondering how you can take good care of your hair and still go on adventures like this.” Lana simply smiled at him, moving her hair to the other side.

 

“Sure you were.”

 

He averted his gaze to the fire, pretending not to hear the last words she spoke but she wasn’t buying it one bit. Instead, she scooted closer to him until their shoulders were touching, making Link’s body jerk a bit.

 

“Can I ask you something?”

 

“What is it?”

 

Lana paused for a bit, placing the brush down as she ran her fingers through her hair. She felt hesitant with asking him why he wasn’t taking good care of himself despite the calamity being gone, thinking that it might be too sensitive, but she still wanted to know the reason.

 

“You know the calamity’s gone, right?” Link then glances at her with an expectant look, almost as if he already knew what she was going to ask of him so he didn’t let her continue any further.

 

“Lana, I’ve already told you. I just don’t have time to think about myself when I could be helping other people.” She frowned then looked at him with worry gleaming in her eyes.

 

“That doesn’t mean you’re not allowed to think about yourself once in a while,” she took his hand away from his knees and held it tightly with both of her own, thumbs drawing circles on his skin, “It’s not selfish of you to care about your well being. Sometimes, everything can be too much for you to handle, that’s why you deserve a break from time to time.” Link’s expression softens as soon as he felt her gentle massage. He noticed the big difference between her soft, yet slightly rough hands and his calloused, worn out hands and found himself staring at one another.

 

“Lana, I—“ she held his hand tightly, eyes not daring to pull away from their gaze from his own until he sighed and squeezed her hands in response.

 

“...I’ll try. I’ll try to look after myself more often.” her lips curved into a smile before pulling her hands away from his, while his own almost ached from losing the feeling of being held by her.

 

“Let’s get some rest for now, it’s getting pretty late. If we wake up early tomorrow, we’ll be in Tarrey town before we know it.” Lana stands up and walks over to their beds, taking her boots off along with her glasses before tucking herself in. Link follows, but as soon as he was comfortably tucked in on his bed, he had realized they were close to each other. _Too close_ , in fact, that Lana was silently staring at him with a smile.

 

“W-what?” Link asked. She giggled then placed her arm under her head, the other brushing his hair away from his face.

 

“Nothing, just thinking about how weird you look from up close.” Link groans then shift his body to face the other side, “Good night, Lana.”

 

With his back facing her, she closed her eyes, “Good night, Link.”

 

＊

 

The sun slowly started to rise and peer through the cave, to which Link groaned a bit. He would have expected to be woken up earlier than this but a warm presence stopped him from getting up.

 

He rubs his eyes a bit then noticed that an arm was wrapped around his hip, legs tangled in one another, while their chests were practically against each other. Link’s face burned bright red as he tried to pry away from her grip but he didn’t want to wake her up just yet.

 

“Lana,” he whispered, hoping she would wake up from his call but instead, her face scrunches up before pulling herself closer to him and groaning against his chest, “Five more minutes…”

 

At this point, Link had given up from waking her up so he ended up watching her body rise up and down slowly whilst admiring her serenity. Sky blue locks falling over to her face, he slowly brushed them away and tucked them behind her ear and there, he witnessed the soft expression she had on her face.

 

“Weren’t you the one who suggested to wake up early today?” he joked as he continued to pet her. Although inaudible, he was sure he heard a satisfying hum from the sleeping Hylian, earning a smile from Link. He could care less about the voices that constantly pulled him away from her affection, from her touch, from _her._ This is what he wanted, to keep her close to him, and he was sure enough that he needed to cherish every second of this temporary affection before slipping through his fingers once more. He closed his eyes and rested his head atop her own, enjoying the short peacefulness that he had before she wakes up.

 

Minutes pass and finally, her eyes flutter open to meet with cerulean blue ones that stared at her half-asleep form.

 

“Huh?“

 

“And good morning to you too, bluebird.” Link replied with a smirk on his face. Lana was confused as to why he was looking at her that way, or why he was so close to her to not realize that it was her who kept him close, with her arms and legs practically in knots around his body. Face scrunching up in confusion, she rolled over a bit to the side and buried herself against his chest once more.

 

“It’s still too early.”

 

“You said that once we wake up, we’ll head out to Tarrey town.”

 

A muffled groan was all he heard before she fell silent. Thinking that she had fallen asleep again, he moves his hands through her hair then softly grips on it to pull her away, earning a whine from the Hylian lady.

 

“Ow ow ow, okay I’m up, I’m up! Quit pulling my hair!” She cried before feeling herself getting released from his grip. Stroking her hair, she shifted to the other side to grab her glasses before propping herself up. Lana yawns for a moment then began stretching her arms while Link sat himself up and pulled out his Sheikah slate, to which caught the attention of the Hylian lady.

 

“So it’s currently 7 in the morning. If we head out in a few minutes, we’ll arrive there by lunchtime.”

 

“Great! Just in time for a good ol meal, I bet they’ve got new stuff in the menu too. It’s been so long since I had their special bacon and parmesan pasta too,” Lana giddily said as she puts her glasses on and fixes her hair. Link smiled at her enthusiasm before standing up then walking towards the cave’s entrance.

 

“Well you better hurry up or we won’t be getting any food by lunchtime.”

 

＊

 

On their way to Tarrey town, the whole trip was silent. Well, Lana was too busy daydreaming about the food she was going to have in the town while Link was simply watching her from the side with a smile on his face. Even when he was so used to traveling alone, he couldn’t help but feel more at ease with her company. Just watching her get all excited about the food she was going to have made his heart flutter.

 

“Do you think they’ll have some new desserts on the menu?”

 

“I’m sure they will.”

 

“Oh, and what about new appetizers?”

 

“They probably made something new for the season.”

 

“I hope they got new drinks as well! It would be great to have one under the summer skies too!”

 

Every flash of her smile gave him butterflies in his stomach. Maybe her excitement had affected him too, or maybe it was something else. Either way, he was happy that he gets to spend time with her in such a beautiful day.

 

Minutes have passed and finally, they arrived at the entrance of the town and if it weren’t for Link holding her back from galloping across the bridge, she would have done that.

 

“Woah there, easy tiger. No need to rush.”

 

“Oh come on, we’re right here! Let’s go already, I’m _sooo_ hungry.” Lana whined as she slumped forward against her horse. Link rolled his eyes in response, “Stop being dramatic. If you gallop your way in, the bridge might collapse thanks to your weight.”

 

Lana blushed and huffed, “I-I’m not that heavy, jerk! I just want something to eat because _somebody_ forgot to hunt us some food for breakfast.”

 

“Hey, I wasn’t the one who was holding me hostage during their sleep and practically suffocating me.”

 

They shot each other glares before turning their attention back to the bridge to see Hudson waving his hand at the two. They both squinted to one another before huffing and turning away to walk over to Hudson.

 

“Glad to see you two blooming as always. Finally getting the hang of being in a relationship?” Both of their cheeks burned bright red as they immediately retorted his words in unison.

 

“We are **_not_ ** in a relationship!”

 

This had caught Hudson taken aback by their words before letting out a soft laugh, “Ah, kids these days. You clearly don’t see the chemistry that the two of you have, don’t you? Why, if I were someone else then I would have assumed that you two are, in fact, in a relationship.” Lana lets out a laugh, which almost made her fall off her horse until she gets ahold of the reign.

 

“Chemistry? Even an alchemist wouldn't be able to identify this ‘chemistry’ that you speak of, Hudson.” Lana scoffed before crossing her arms, almost as if she was waiting for Link’s reply. He did reply, however, in a way that she didn’t expect.

 

“Oh, I’m well aware of the chemistry we have. Sadly, she just doesn’t see it herself. Too much of a ’hard-to-get’  kinda girl, if you ask me.” Link said with a shrug of his shoulders. Lana’s face was practically burning at his words, both in embarrassment and in anger but she tried to play his game by letting out a laugh.

 

“Me? Hard to get? Oh please Link, don’t flatter yourself. If I were to choose between you and, let’s say Prince Sidon, then I’d obviously choose the prince. Of course, not because he’s royalty but because he actually _knows_ how to treat women.” If Lana wasn’t facing him away, it was obvious that Link was hurt by her words. Hudson didn’t notice and simply lets out a laugh.

 

“You two are absolutely one of a kind. How about you both head in and rent yourselves a bedroom at the inn before getting some lunch? We’ve got some new stuff on the menu and I’m sure Lana here is quite excited to try all of them.” They both nodded then went their way to the inn.

 

＊

 

Upon arriving inside, Link was quiet. Of course, he wasn’t much of a talker but not when he’s with Lana, and she started to notice his silence as they were walking to the reception table. She was about to open her mouth but Link had already begun talking to the receptionist, booking a room with two beds and without even saying a word to her, he hands her the key and had begun carrying their things upstairs. She quickly follows him behind, her feet lightly tapping on the wooden floor as she tries to get his attention.

 

“Link, I can carry my things by myself! Can you _please_ listen to me while I’m talking?” Lana exclaimed. Link finally turns around to meet her gaze but his expression was different. It wasn’t exactly anger, more like— irritation. He had the annoyed look on his face, similar to the one he had earlier before they left Hateno Village, and she was confused as to why he was even giving her an attitude.

 

“What’s got your ponytail in a knot? You want to carry my stuff _that badly?_ ” Link grunts and turns his head away before waiting for her to open the door. As soon as she does so, he quickly places them down to their respective sides of the room before heading to the bathroom without another word.

 

Lana was then left alone, sat on her bed with nothing but her scrunched up brows and the uneasiness creeping on her back. She couldn’t help but think of what she did to upset him. Could it be what she had said back at the bridge?

 

She felt her heart pound. Maybe what she had said was a bit too much, even for Link. An apology would be the best option now but would this be the right time to do so? She knows that when Link is upset like this, he doesn’t listen to anyone, not even the princess herself. He was stubborn, so trying to get his attention now would be a difficult task for her. Lana sighed, plopping down on the bed as she kicked her boots off to curl up in a ball whilst hugging her pillow. She wanted to apologize as soon as she can but if she were to think about it, this would’ve been avoided if she kept a filter on her mouth.

 

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the bathroom door opening. There, Link steps out while drying his hair with a towel while a bigger one was wrapped around his waist. His tunic was hanging by the clothesline by the balcony that was next to the bathroom so she assumed he probably washed it along with his other clothing. Lana felt her face heat up at the sight and immediately turned around to avoid eye contact, hugging the pillow close to her chest.

 

“C-can you at least wear something that _isn’t_ just a towel around your waist?” she mumbled under her breath. Link simply glanced at her before walking over to his side of the room to get dressed while she was still facing away. Thankfully, he finished quickly and had begun walking to the door which made her turn to him quickly, reaching out to stop him for a moment.

 

“Wait, where are you going?”

 

“Lunch.”

 

“Oh, right. Then—“

 

Before she could even finish her sentence, Link had already closed the door behind him and left her all on her own. Lana felt her heart drop as she simply backs onto a wall and clutch onto the pillow as tightly as she could. Tears were starting to brim in the corner of her eyes but she didn’t dare try to let them fall. Crying was one of the things she hated the most, so she always tried her best to keep herself composed and hide it with a distraction but the room was practically empty that there was nothing for her to keep distracted. She removed her glasses, placing them on the table beside her bed, then proceeded to cry onto the pillow.

 

She felt awful; the only time that Link was actually able to spend the day off together after a long journey to who knows what, she decided to ruin it with her big mouth. She missed him, quite a lot that every passing day without seeing him around made her stomach churn in worry and loneliness. When she had time to check and see if he was already home, she would find out that he was still not there that it made her miss him even more. She tried writing letters; she loved writing him letters the most because she gets to keep his handwritten letter and she made sure she kept every single one she had received from him. Whenever she felt lonely, she would pull out a box full of his letters and reread them, smiles always tugging her face as she began to dream about him.

 

She wished that she at least brought one of the letters or her most favorite one: the first letter he’s sent to her. It was nothing more than just a short greeting, telling her that if she needed to contact him, she can write him a letter anytime. It was the very first time she’s ever seen his writing and since then, she had fallen in love with it. The way he writes certain letters, giving them each a piece of his personality, his wording, everything practically screamed his name at her and she loved that.

 

The more she thought about him, the more tears began to appear. All she wanted was to be with him, even if it was just for a few days until he leaves her alone again, and yet she manages to ruin it herself. Lana continued to cry against her pillow until she fell back onto the mattress and drift off to sleep.

 

＊

 

Link sighed as he brushed his hair away from his face. He hated leaving Lana alone but he wasn’t exactly in the best state of mind right now. He wanted to clear his thoughts, try to calm himself down then go back to her to apologize for what happened. Unfortunately, it didn’t go the way he wanted it to be.

 

He had realized that the way he just left her at the inn made him sound like he was being too harsh towards her. It hasn’t even been two days since he was with her after a long time of being away and he had already managed to leave her alone again.

 

 _Maybe I shouldn’t have gone that far,_ he thought. If he hadn’t stormed out and left her all on her own like that, maybe they would’ve resolved the issue quickly and enjoy their time here in Tarrey town.

 

Link sat down on the grass, sighing as he props one leg up to rest his arm on while looking at the clearing beneath the town. Had it been that long since he went there to face the guardians that lurked throughout the fields? He could have sworn it had only been a few months since he did but in reality, it had been about five years.

 

 _Five years is a long time_.

 

He remembered how he met Lana after he had defeated the Calamity during his travels with Princess Zelda. On their way to the Zora domain, they both encountered her fighting against a Lynel and it had caused Link to immediately act and help her. Wounded on the ground, panting and gasping as she tried to treat her injuries before the Lynel could attack her again, it was traumatizing for her and to imagine that she was fighting it all on her own was more than enough to convince Link that he had to help her.

 

He remembered the way she looked at him as if she had already expected her life to end then and there so when he had decided to help her, she was on the brink of tears. Link smiles a bit at the memory of her wrapping his arms around him so tightly that he could've sworn he was about to lose air from how tight her grip was. He looks back at the inn; the longer he stared at the inn, the more guilty he felt. He wanted to at least make it up to her before going back to check on her so he stands up and goes to buy some lunch for them, along with a little extra dessert for Lana.

 

Link opens the door to see Rhondson by the counter, greeting him with a small smile.

 

“Hello, Link. It’s been a while since you’ve come to visit. How have you been?”

 

“Well aside from tired thanks to all the traveling I’ve done, I’m doing pretty alright.” Rhondson nodded before looking— well, _inspecting_ him to which Link cocked an eyebrow at.

 

“Is something wrong, Rhondson?”

 

“You seem to be alone today. Didn’t you arrive with your little vai?” Link blushed at her wording and shook his head.

 

“Y-you can just call her Lana, please. We’re nothing more than just adventure partners.” She looked at him, eyebrows raised in curiosity while her arms were crossed.

 

“I would believe you if you didn’t stutter. Clearly, you are quite infatuated with the little Hylian vai, correct?” Link’s face began to heat up even more, now vigorously shaking his head in denial. Rhondson chuckled as she leaned against the front desk, “Not to fret, little voe. I won’t spread any information because it is your decision whether or not to tell her about your feelings.”

 

He stopped and looked down at his chest, his heart rate increasing more and more as he thought of him and Lana constantly being seen as a couple. It wasn’t because of the fact that he hated being seen as such, rather he’s worried because of how easily affected Lana gets when the attention is on her.

 

Lana had always been uncomfortable with crowds. He assumed it would be because of what had happened to her a few years back but she never clarified the reason why. Since then, he made sure to be mindful of what was happening between them and kept everything on the down low.

 

Rhondson noticed his sudden change of attitude, her smile widening just a bit as she watches him bite his lip and think. She found it amusing how almost _everyone_ in the town had already figured them out except for the two. They were practically lovebirds, and they have yet to realize it themselves so everyone found it entertaining to always hear them deny the obvious.

 

“Alright alright, I’ll stop the teasing. What can I get for you?”

 

＊

 

After getting their lunch, Link bids Rhondson goodbye before leaving to go back to the inn. He was nervous; he didn’t know what to say or how to bring up the subject of apologizing to her and it was making him anxious that he’d occasionally stop his tracks to think and talk to himself.

 

“Alright Link, this is going to be fine. Just tell her upfront, don’t stall and _don’t_ change the subject.” Link mumbled under his breath as he stood in front of the door to their room. He moves his quivering hand to the doorknob but quickly pulls it back as he holds his head.

 

“Dammit, stop being a wuss! You’ve had fights before and you both made up just fine, this isn’t any different!” He groans, leaning back against the wall. They _did_ fight with each other every now and then but he didn’t understand why this time, it felt different for him. Could it be because it had something to do with Lana choosing Sidon over him? No, he’s not _that_ petty.

 

Or maybe he is.

 

He takes a deep breath and pulls back from the wall to face the door once again. He told himself that he wasn’t gonna stall so with one shaky sigh, he reaches back to the doorknob and slowly opens it, eyes closed before opening to see Lana lying on her bed in a curled up position. Link assumed she was asleep so he closes the door gently and places their food on the table in the center of the room before approaching her. He studied her face and noticed the redness of her nose and cheeks which bring him to a conclusion:

 

Lana looked like she had been crying the whole time he left her alone.

 

He frowned. This was exactly why he hated leaving her alone, especially when he just got back from his trip. She had been feeling upset and was simply trying to enjoy their stay here at Tarrey town and they ended up ruining it over something so small, so petty. Link sat down on her head, hand reaching up to cup her face as his thumb stroked her cheek. Guilt began to eat him up whole as he imagined what happened to her way back to when he was still on his journey.

 

“You must have felt lonely, haven’t you?” he mumbled before brushing her hair away from her face. Her rosy cheeks burned bright and although it was because of her crying earlier, Link couldn’t help but admire the way the blush rested on them. His thumb grazes her soft, silken skin as her body twitches a bit from his touch, making his own jerk up a bit from the sudden action. He expected her to wake up but to no avail, a relieved sigh leaving his mouth. A familiar thought came rolling back into his mind as he continued to stare at her sleeping form,

 

_Clearly, you are quite infatuated with the little Hylian vai._

 

Was it truly just an infatuation? He’d expect to prefer that but for some reason, something was telling him that it was more than just that. They’ve been going on adventures for five years and they’ve grown to know each other more and more each passing day, surprisingly more than he had known the princess and everyone else. He thought that maybe his memory loss from 100 years back had made him think that he knew Lana better than he knew anyone else, but another stray thought clouded his mind.

 

_But even with my memories back, I know that I’m more attached to Lana than to anyone else._

 

Maybe because he was creating memories with her without the use of the pictures on his Sheikah slate. He felt like he was actually making an effort in enjoying his time with her to create new memories and no longer guilt-trip himself from losing her to the calamity. He pulled his hand back to look at the callouses and scars he had, reminding him of everything he had gone through over the years, reminding him of the things and people that he had lost thanks to the war and the calamity. It made his stomach churn as he tried to shake away the thoughts until he felt a grip on his hand, turning his head to see Lana awake and holding him with both of her own.

 

“You’re awake.” Lana pulls his hand close to her face before placing a kiss on his palm, moving it back to her cheek as she closes her eyes.

 

“I’m sorry for what I said at the bridge earlier.” Link’s eyes widened before giving her a soft smile as he drew circles against her skin with his thumb.

 

“I want to say sorry about that, too. I guess I got carried away with the teasing.” Lana shook her head before opening her eyes to look at him.

 

“I went too far with mine, I didn’t mean to say those things about you.” he chuckled before moving his hand to brush her hair, earning a hum from the Hylian. They both basked in their presence until Lana tugged him to make him lie down next to her, to which he complied. With a kick of his boots, he settled down on his side as he gazes at her with a small smile, earning a blush from the girl.

 

“You wanted me to lie down next to you, right? Why are you getting all shy with me now?” instead of talking back, she shifted closer to him and pulls him into a hug with her face buried against his chest. Link jolted up a bit from the sudden action but quickly relaxes his muscles as his hand found its way back into her hair.

 

“I missed you a lot, Link.”

 

“I missed you too, Lana.”

 

“Why didn’t you write me a letter when you were gone?” Link fell silent. He didn’t exactly have a fair reason not to tell her and the only excuse he could say was that he forgot due to the fact that he was kept busy from ever writing something to her. If he were to tell her that, he had a feeling that it would just make her feel worse so he simply frowned and held her tightly, wishing that she understood him just by his actions.

 

“I was so worried that you won’t come back anymore.”

 

“You know that I’ll always be back, right?” her grip on his shirt tightens. Slowly, he began to realize that she was now crying on his chest that it made him pull her back to help her calm down, hands cupping her face as he wipes away her tears with his thumbs.

 

“Lana,” he whispered, keeping his voice at low volume as he waits for her to look at him. With her eyes still watery, he knew she was trying her best to hold them back and not continue crying as she listens to what he has to say.

 

“I can assure you that I will _always_ come back home to you. I know that I can be reckless sometimes but I don’t think I could ever leave you on your own like this again.” Link closes his eyes and rests his forehead against her own, keeping her as close to him as he could. He would expect her to have moved away from him but instead, she rested her face against the crook of his neck as her breath tickled his skin, causing him to blush a bit.

 

“You better keep that promise or else I’ll kick you in your sleep.”

 

He lets out a soft laugh before ruffling her hair as she groans. She then pulls back once more to now look up at him with red eyes and puffy cheeks, making his lips curl into a smile.

 

“You still look just as pretty when you cry, but I hope you don’t cry as often.” Link mumbled as he cupped her face with one hand, the other resting on her lower back. Both hadn’t realized how close they were— rather, they _may_ have realized it but chose not to pull back. The pink hues that painted both of their cheeks were now more noticeable than ever before, which they seemed to admire quite a lot judging by the way they were now looking at each other.

 

“Link.” Lana whispered, the gap between them threatening to close as he pulled her closer to him, her eyelids growing heavier the more she felt their bodies touch. She didn’t pull away, however, her hands gripped his shirt tightly while he moves his own down on her waist, holding her close to him. With their face now inches apart, they felt each other’s breaths against their skin and with the closing of their eyes, their lips found their way into each other’s touch.

 

Countless thoughts have begun to play in their minds the longer the kiss went on but one thing’s for certain, they didn’t want it to end just yet. Lana shifted her body around until she settled herself on top of him, his hands wandering through her hair as she tasted his lips against her own. The familiar taste of baked apples danced around her mouth and it gave her sparks all over her body whilst Link tasted peaches from her kisses. For a moment, she had to pull back to take in some air and process everything that had just happened, which ended up with her turning into a flustered mess.

 

“G-goddess, I am so sorry Link! I didn’t mean to do such a thing—” her sentence was cut off by him pulling her back into a hug, leaving her more confused than ever.

 

“Link…?”

 

“There’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you before I left, something that I should have told you a long time ago.” Lana pulled herself away to look at him, arms resting on his chest as her eyes twinkled with anticipation and her heart pounding inside her chest. Link didn’t break his gaze and instead, he brought his hand up to cup her face, thumb grazing her skin with the softest expression he could ever muster up.

 

“I’m in love with you, Lana.”

 

The time stopped ticking. She looked at him, dumbfounds as she replayed the words that left his mouth, her heart dropping thousands of feet from above the ground. Her expression was unreadable; Link couldn’t figure out what she was thinking and that made him immensely worried.

 

“S-sorry, was it too much?” he propped themselves up as he kept Lana seated on his lap, his arm resting on his side as he rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand.

 

“I figured it was the right time to confess to you— well, at least try to confess to you before kissing you…” Lana’s hands were trembling a bit against on his chest, face flushed while she slowly looks up at him.

 

“How long?”

 

“A year… maybe two years? I lost count, honestly. But,” he pulls one of her hands away from his chest and brings it up to his face, planting a soft kiss on top as he looks at her once more with a smile spread across his face,

 

“I’m certain that my feelings for you remain the same.”

 

All those years of trying to figure out how they felt about each other was agonizing. Constantly trying to convince themselves that their relationship meant nothing more, reminding themselves about their boundaries, practically pulling themselves away from each other to remind them of their places, it was torturous for both of their hearts. Upon hearing Link’s words of love for her, she couldn’t help but feel them finally sink in as she bit her lip to keep herself from crying but to no avail. A stream of tears began to fall down her cheeks as Link pulled her close against his chest, calming her down by rubbing circles on her back.

 

“I needed time to think about all of it, about how I felt, about what could happen if I told you. I realized that when I left you for that long period of time, I knew it was going to be hard to keep myself away from you like that.” she sobbed on his shirt, not caring one bit about how she’s ruining his iconic blue Champion tunic. She waited for this moment in all those years of spending time with him and to finally hear the words she dreamed of hearing, it was something she could never have thought to happen in this moment.

 

Lana cried her heart out for a few minutes, unable to stop herself from doing so until she finally caught her breath and calmed herself down. Link waited patiently for her reply and as he was waiting, she laughed a bit as she looked down on his chest.

 

“Were my actions not obvious enough by now?” Link tilted his head a bit to the side, confused with what she said.

 

“Link, we kissed each other earlier and I cried on your shirt after your confession. What do you think is my answer?”

 

“Well, I’d like to hear you say it yourself so it feels more special.” Lana blushed and pouted a bit before burying her face on her chest to mumble something that Link didn’t understand. He laughs a bit and pulls himself away to cup her face and make her look at him.

 

“If you’ve got something to tell me, you shouldn’t hide your face now.” she squinted her eyes at him before holding his hands with both of her own as she gives him the sweetest smile,

 

“I’m in love with you too, Link.”

 

And with that, he pulls her into another kiss and soon melted in her arms, with no means of stopping himself anymore. 


End file.
